BREAKING FREE THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER INC
Experience the healing power of the horse
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Therapeutic Riding
Our therapeutic riding lessons help improve individual's physical, psychological and cognitive abilities. The horse is a means of exercise, as well as a warm and friendly companion.
Horses for Heroes
Breaking Free's Horses for Heroes mission is to partner with veterans and community organizations to provide an equestrian therapeutic environment to support and strengthen veterans' physical, emotional and psychological well being so they may lead independent, healthy and dignified lives.
Family Enrichment
The Family Enrichment course is for families that care for children in foster care. During their lesson, family members discuss topics that promote communication, understanding, trust and boundaries. Then participants practice these skills with their equine partner who provides real-time and honest feedback
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Children with disabilities benefit from the motor, sensory, and emotional aspects of being on a horse. Children in our program participate in activities such as grooming the horse, petting and touching experiences, leading, and riding activities. While riding, horse therapy provides opportunities for engagement in following directions and for practicing cognitive concepts. To meet this goal, children are asked to follow a given direction, to listen and respond to requests, and to cue their horse to go or whoa. Academic goals may include naming and finding colors or shapes around the arena, identifying pictures or objects while riding, recognizing environmental print, and counting balls or beanbags when throwing them into a bucket. Horseback riding helps with coordination, strength and muscle tone, and helps the child to develop balance and motor control. Students participate in gross motor activities such as throwing balls or beanbags into a bucket or hoop, reaching for objects, and stretching. They are also asked to strengthen fine motor skills as they grasp smaller objects as they ride around the ring, and manipulate items such as clothes pins. Children with autism are especially helped by the sensory benefits provided by being on a horse. The touch of the horse's fur, the sounds and smells of the horse and the excitement of being on a horse allow students additional motivation to cooperate with therapy goals.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Each Lesson incorporates the educational, physical, social and recreational goals of each individual student. The 45-minute therapeutic riding lessons include mounting, warm-up time, an exercise, an activity or game, skill development, skill review, a closing activity and dismounting. Group lessons have 3-4 students per class. Lessons will include some unmounted time devoted to expanding horsemanship skills. Students may groom, saddle, or perform other appropriate activities that develop horsemanship skills. Continual participation in the program is suggested for maximum therapeutic benefits
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Breaking Free earned a Premier Accredited Center Member certification in October 2013 through Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship Intl. We have been a PATH Center Member and followed their safety and program guidelines since 2009 when we began.
PATH is an international governing body that sets standards for equine therapy and equine facilitated learning for centers who provide services for the disabled. PATH Int. has been a leader in equine therapy since 1969.
Our instructors are PATH Registered Instructors who must complete training and testing to become registered. They also complete continuing education hours annually. PATH's training standards insure our instructors are highly trained and follow strict guidelines for the safety of our participants, volunteers and equine.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In May 2015 Breaking Free began a new "Horses for Heroes" program to serve Veterans in their area. Breaking Free's Horses for Heroes program is open to all eligible US Veterans who are interested in working with or around horses or in a farm and barn atmosphere. This program has been many years in the planning and we are excited to have it up and running.
Our wish is to offer therapeutic riding sessions year round. We have started raising funds so we can hopefully fulfill our dream of building an indoor arena in the near future.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
Volunteers stressed what was working and not working in our Volunteer training. We listened and made changes to training program. We have almost 100% positive feedback now.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
BREAKING FREE THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER INC
Board of directorsas of 02/08/2022
Linda Lake
Kathy McCleland
Karen McQuain
Amanda Huber
Reanna Sagle
Randi Bates
Linda Lake
Breaking Free Therapeutic Riding inc.
Megan Shaw
Breaking Free Therapeutic Riding inc.
Bryan Lake
Breaking Free Therapeutic Riding inc.